AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi — A belly rub gets started in the front yard of the Grazin’ Pig Acres rescue ranch by its owners, Nancy and Marty Koontz, and several of the 98 pigs living on the Ramona, Calif., ranch.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Eva Monroy bought a mini pig for her family and fed it what the breeder instructed: a half-cup of food in the morning and a half-cup at night.But the piglet named Hammond started raiding the pantry and digging through the trash.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Eva Monroy bought a mini pig for her family and fed it what the breeder instructed: a half-cup of food in the morning and a half-cup at night.But the piglet named Hammond started raiding the pantry and digging through the trash.

PORT JERVIS, N.Y. — National Mutt Day is all about embracing, saving and celebrating mixed breed dogs and raising awareness of the plight of mixed breed dogs awaiting new homes in shelters around the nation.

PORT JERVIS, N.Y. — National Mutt Day is all about embracing, saving and celebrating mixed breed dogs and raising awareness of the plight of mixed breed dogs awaiting new homes in shelters around the nation.

Emily Spartz Weerheim/The Argus Leader via AP — At the end of June, a bill was re-introduced in the U.S. House to designate the bison as the national mammal of the United States. It’s called the National Bison Legacy Act.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A country’s national animal is often an iconic image of the country, its people and their way of life.In the United States, it’s the bald eagle, which is described as majestic and legendary.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A country’s national animal is often an iconic image of the country, its people and their way of life.In the United States, it’s the bald eagle, which is described as majestic and legendary.

Karen Vitt/DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital via AP — Skip, a 90-pound Shar Pei and Labrador retriever mix, waits for doctors at the DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital in Portland, Ore., to patch him up after he tangled with a squirrel.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 1-pound squirrel and 90-pound dog didn’t let their size disparity stop them from dueling.The rodent died in the recent run-in with Kimberlee Jaynes’ pet Skip, but the Shar Pei and golden Labrador mix got a long scar on his face and was lucky not to lose an eye.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A 1-pound squirrel and 90-pound dog didn’t let their size disparity stop them from dueling.The rodent died in the recent run-in with Kimberlee Jaynes’ pet Skip, but the Shar Pei and golden Labrador mix got a long scar on his face and was lucky not to lose an eye.

Can you tell if a pet is healthy by how wet his nose feels?

The general health of a pet cannot be determined by feeling his/her nose. If the nose is crusty or has a discharge, there may be a localized problem. A physical exam in conjunction with diagnostic testing (such as a blood test) if needed is the best way to determine if your pet is healthy.